Animating apparatus



April 16, 1940. I GOL 2,197,268

ANIMATING APPARATUS Fil ed $ept. 29, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I Im/en or:4.21/22 @014.

April 16, 1940. 5 GOLD 2,197,268

ANIIIATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1937 3 Sheets-Shea 2 Jam April 16,1940. 5, GOLD 2,197,268

ANIMATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ira/enterPatented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES ANIMATING APPARATUS Sam Gold,Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Advertising & Research Corporation,a corporation of Illinois Application September 29, 1937, Serial No.166,301

11 Claims.

The invention relates to picture animating apparatus and moreparticularly to a novelly constructed toy for animating still pictures.

An object of the invention is to provide a simply operated novel pictureanimating apparatus which is readily assembled from fiat stock.

Another object is to provide a picture animating apparatus with anovelly constructed picture carrying rotor embodying novel means todetachably secure a plurality of picture bearing members thereto. 7

Another object is to provide a knock-down picture animating apparatuswhich is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, and simple andpleasing in operation.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention as will appearhereinafter as the description proceeds will be more readily understoodfrom a perusal of thefollowing specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved toy.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view through the toy, showingtherotor in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the rotor.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rotor, partly assembled.

Fig. 6 is a view of a. blank printed and perfoorated to provide a set ofindividual picture bearing members.

Fig. '7 is a view of the blank for the apparatus housing.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank employed to make the eye piece. I

Fig. 9 is a view of the blank for the rotor spacers.

The improved knock-down toy includes a set of pictures arranged upon arotor within a suitable housing in such a manner that rotation of therotor exposes each picture of the set in sequence at such a rate ofspeed as to animate the characters represented on said pictures.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 7,'the housing H preferably is formed froma sheet of material, such as heavy cardboard or the like, suitablydie-cut and scored to permit its being readily folded and interlocked toproduce a substantially square shallow box-like structure. As bestillustrated in Fig. '7, the top 12 is defined by score lines l3 and I4and has an opening it therein, the opposed edges l6-l6a of whichpreferably are curved, as shown, for a purpose to be more fullyexplained hereinafter. Portions I! joined to the top l2 along the scorelines l3--|4 are adapted to be positioned parallel to each other atright angles to the top l2. A bottom portion l8 joined to one of theside walls H has tabs IQ for insertion into slots 2i at the free edge ofthe other side Wall to retain said sidewalls in spaced parallelrelation. The ends of the housing are closed by end flaps 22-23, both ofwhich preferably are joined to one of the side walls I! along scorelines 24. Each end of the top 12 and of the bottom l8 terminates in tabs25-46, respectively, for insertion beneath the respective end walls 22and 23, thereby securely interlocking the various portions of the blankto provide a rigid housing, which may be readily disassembled andunfolded. I i The side walls I1 have aligning openings 21 to receive forfree rotation therein a square shaft 28. The shaft preferably is formedby folding a flat sheet of material, such as heavy cardboard or thelike. As best shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 28 is located substantiallymidway between the end walls 22 and 23 and at a substantially equaldistance above the bottom wall i8 but relatively closer to the inclinedtop wall 12. A rotor 29 is mounted upon the shaft 28 for rotatlontherewith within the housing II and preferably includes spaced apartdisks 3! each having a square axial opening 32 therein to fit snug lyupon said shaft. I

The disks 3| are retained in spaced relation to each other and to thehousing side walls I! preferably by two spacers .33 each of which, asbest shown in Fig. 9, consist of a blank of heavy sheet material foldedsubstantially v-shaped along a medial score line 34, and has endportions 35 and a wide central portion 36 providing. shoulders 31. Thespacers are placed between the disks 3i with their end portions 35extending through triangular-shaped openings 38 in each disk. Due to theresiliency of the folded V-shaped spacers, the disks are frictionallyretained against the shoulder 31.

Each disk has a. plurality of uniformly spaced apart radial slits 4|extending inwardly from its peripherial edge and has portions cut awayat each slit, as at 42 (Fig. 3) to facilitate ready access being gainedto said slits. The slits of each disk are adapted to alignlongitudinally with the slits of the companion disk whereby each pair ofaligned slits provides a mounting for one 7 picture bearing member 43.As shown, each member 43 is mounted on the rotor along one edge andextends radially outwardly therefrom. In practice it is intended thateach picture member of a set will be consecutively numbered and each setof slits may bear corresponding numbers to insure mounting of thepicture members in proper sequence. An operating handle 44, preferablyformed by bending a sheet of cardboard or the like, of predeterminedsize and shape, is slipped over one of the projecting ends of shaft 28.

Upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the picture bearingmembers 43 brush against the inside face of the top wall l2 and arethereby prevented from assuming their normal radial position. When therotor is turned clock-wise the distorted picture bearing members aresuccessively released as they move off the edge [6 of the window openingl5 and immediately snap into their substantially radial position.However, the other edge 26a of said opening i5 is so positioned withrelation to the rotor that the released picture bearing members areagain deflected slightly until such time as they slide freely off saidedge. The successive freeing of each member effects animation of thecharacters thereon when viewed through the opening (5 and as saidmembers are momentarily held by the edge ltd, flickering, inducedprimarily by vibration of the picture members, is prevented. Slidingfriction at the edges l 35a is reduced to a minimum due to the curve ofsaid edges which makes for a point contact with each picture member.

The apparatus is given a more realistic appearance and exposure orinjury to the portions of the picture bearing members extending throughthe opening 55 is avoided by providing a suitable eye piece This eyepiece also preferably is formed of sheet material, as best shown in Fig.8, and consists of an inclined rear wall 41, parallel side walls 38 andan inclined front wall 49, suitably joined along score lines 5| and 52,respectively. The front wall 49 carries a tab 53 on its free edge forinsertion through a slot 54 in the opposed side wall 18 for securing theparts in a substantially triangular shape, having its open bottomdisposed over the opening 15. The 'ront wall 49 has an opening throughwhich the pictures are viewed, and an opening 56 in the rear wall 4!admits sufficient light. The eye piece 45 preferably is secured in placeby extensions or wings 5?, one depending from each of the side walls 48,which are inserted through the opening 15 and have their forwardlyprojecting shoulders 58 engaged beneath the top I2 adjacent the edge H3of said opening. A flap 59 extending from the rear wall M is insertedbeneath the housing end wall 23, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it is evident that this device may be quickly andeasily assembled by unskilled persons and is simple to operate toprovide very amusing entertainment. Repeated operation may eventuallyresult in the picture bearing members 43 tending to assume asubstantially curved shape because of the continuous flexing in onedirection by the top wall l2. To overcome this tendency it is intendedthat a complete set or" pictures be reproduced on each side of saidmembers so that by simply opening the housing and reversing the rotorthe picture hearing elements will be fiexed in an opposite directionwhile displaying a second set of pictures. It is obvious also that theutility of this apparatus can be increased by mounting a plurality ofrotors upon a common shaft so that diiferent sets, or a single set ofpictures of considerably a greater number than that which can possiblybe mounted on one rotor, are provided for successive observation. Withsuch an arrangement the housing H is made sufiiciently large to enclosethe added number of rotors, and a window opening and associated eyepiece are provided on the housing, one for each rotor.

It should be understood that the various terms used herein aredescriptive rather than restrictive and it is not intended that theinvention be restricted to the precise details illustrated but is toembrace the disclosure in is broadest aspect as limited only by therequirements of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a housing formed with anopening in its top wall and a flap forming an end wall, an eye pieceadapted to be mounted on the outside of said top i wall over saidopening comprising a hollow substantially triangular shaped member openat its bottom, lips extending from each side wall of said memberinsertable in said opening, shoulders on said lips to engage beneathsaid top, and a flap at one end of said member insertable beneath theend wall flap.

2. In an apparatus of the character described having a housing providedwith an opening through which picture bearing members are exposed, aneye piece adapted to be fitted over said opening comprising asubstantially triangular shaped body open at its bottom, and means onsaid body adapted to engage in said opening to retain the body in place,said body having a window opening in its inclined front wall and a lightopening in its inclined rear wall.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a housing having asubstantially rectangular opening therein, one pair of opposed edges ofsaid opening being curved inwardly toward each other, yieldable membersmovable in uniform sequence past said opening, said members co-actingwith said curved edges whereby they are successively snapped into aposition to momentarily expose one member at a time.

a. In an apparatus of the character described, a housing having asubstantially rectangular opening therein, one pair of opposed edges ofsaid opening being curved inwardly toward each other, yieldable membersmovable in uniform sequence beneath said opening, said members coactingwith said curved edges whereby they are successively snapped intoposition to momentarily expose one member at a time, and an eye piecedetachably fitted over said opening.

5. A knock-down toy picture apparatus including a housing formed of ablank folded to provide parallel side and end walls, a bottom and a top,said top being inclined from one end wall to the other end wall andhaving an opening therein, a shaft formed of a blank folded to providefiat sides j ournaled in said side walls, a rotor in said housing havingaxially aligned square openings through which said shaft extends, saidrotor being formed of disks fixedly spaced apart, said disks havinguniformly spaced radial slits extending inwardly from their periphery,the slits in one disk being aligned with the slits in the other disk,and picture bearing sheets one mounted in each pair of aligned slits andprojecting radially outwardly, said sheets successively coacting withthe top wall so that they may be viewed successively through saidopening while the rotor is being rotated.

6. A knock-down toy picture apparatus including a housing formed of ablank folded to provide parallel side and end walls, a bottom and a top,said top being inclined from one end wall to the other end wall andhaving an opening therein, a shaft formed of a blank folded to provideflat sides journaled in said side walls, a rotor in said housingsecurely mounted on said shaft, said rotor being formed of spaced apartdisks having spaced radial slits extending inwardly from theirperiphery, the slits in one disk being aligned with the slits in theother disk, and picture bearing sheets one mounted in each pair ofaligned slits and projecting radially outwardly, said sheetssuccessively co-acting with opposed edges of the opening in said topwall so that they may be viewed successively through said opening whilethe rotor is being rotated.

7. A knock-down toy picture apparatus including a housing formed of ablank folded and interlocked to provide parallel side and end walls, abottom and a top, said top having an opening therein, a shaft formed ofa blank folded to provide flat sides rotatably journaled in said sidewalls, a rotor in said housing securely mounted on said shaft, saidrotor being formed of disks fixedly spaced apart, said disks havingspaced radial slits extending inwardly from their periphery, the slitsin one disk being aligned with the slits in the other disk, and picturebearing sheets one mounted in each pair of aligned slits and projectingradially outwardly, said sheets being successively exposed through saidopening while the rotor is being rotated.

8. A knock-down toy picture apparatus including a housing having aninclined top wall provided with an opening. a shaft formed of a blankfolded to provide flat sides rotatably journaled in said housing, arotor in said housing through which said shaft extends, said rotor beingformed of spaced apart disks having radial slits extending inwardly fromtheir periphery, the slits in one disk being aligned with the slits inthe other disk, and picture bearing sheets one mounted in each pair ofaligned slits and projecting radially outwardly, said sheetssuccessively co-acting with the top wall so that they may be viewedsuccessively through said opening while the rotor is being rotated.

9. A knock-down toy picture apparatus including a housing having spacedside walls, a shaft rotatably journalled in said side walls having itsend portions extend outwardly beyond said walls, at least said endportions of said shaft being square in cross-section, a rotor secured onsaid shaft between said walls, and an operating handle detachablymounted on either of said extending shaft portions, said handleconsisting of sheet material folded upon itself and apertured to snuglyreceive said shaft.

10. In an apparatus of the character described having a housing providedwith an opening through which picture bearing members are exposed, aneye piece adapted to be mounted on the outside of said openingcomprising, an irregular shaped hollow body open at its bottom, and tabsdepending from said body to engage in the housing opening to detachablyretain the body in place, said body having a light opening and a windowopening therein. I

11. A knockdown toy picture apparatus including a housing having sidewalls and a top wall. said top wall having an opening therein, a shaftjournalled in and having its end portions extend outwardly beyond saidside walls, at least i one of said end portions being square incrosssection, a rotor in said housing securely mounted on said shaft,said rotor being formed of discs fixedly spaced apart, circumferentiallyspaced radial slits extending inwardly from the circumferential edge ofsaid disc, the slits in one disc being aligned with the slits in theother disc, and picture bearing sheets "one mounted in each aligned pairof slits and projecting radially outwardly, means on the square portionof a said shaft to rotate the rotors, said sheets being successivelyexposed through said opening while the rotor is being rotated.

SAM GOLD.

